EAST MIDLANDS

In contrast to Derbyshire's past connection to the Industrial Revolution, perhaps it most glittering modern attraction is the Peak District National Park, three-quarters of which lie within the county..

Plenty of tourists visit Nottinghamshire in search of the elusive Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. Sherwood Forest can be visited but for those who like their myths and legends somewhat more lively, Nottingham city itself offers the occasional event and the perennial tourist trinkets. The Galleries of Justice not only tell the story of the famous do-gooder but also promise a gory tour through the history of crime in the area.

Lincolnshire offers idyllic rural escape. From the quaint and cobbled capital of Lincoln, the rolling hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds, and the stunning Saltfleetby-Theddlethrope Dunes to the uncannily Dutch looks of the low lying fens and the stately historical architecture of Stamford, Lincolnshire is unfairly overlooked by many tourists.Leicestershire has some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain, which has produced two great English cheeses, the Stilton and the Red Liecester, as well as the pork pie. The smallest county in England, Rutland, was once part of Leicestershire. It is a peaceful area and one of its highlights is the delightfully fanciful Belvoir Castle, a 19th century reconstruction of a Norman building.

Finally, in the south of the East Midlands lies Northamptonshire, a pleasant, rural county. Aside from the lovely countryside, there are a great number of stately homes including Althorp House, where the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried. The county also holds the majestic remains of the Elizabethan Kirby Hall and the 16th century Rushton Triangular Lodge, an unusual building that was created to defiantly proclaim the owner's Roman Catholicism.

Click on the link to download your 28-page PDF version of EAST MIDLANDS. It covers the counties of Derbyshire (including The Peak District), Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.